Bright Group

There is something extremely calming about Fiona Woodcock’s artwork — I would describe it as the hygge of picture book illustration — because each time I read one of her books, I feel so relaxed and content, gently swept up by the subtle colours and textures she creates. A Dot in the Snow is beautiful, uncomplicated, peaceful — and yet dramatic in composition of scale and landscape.

Illustrator Fiona and author Corrinne Averiss have been nominated for a Kate Greenaway Medal for Dot, and so here, Fiona talks about her creative process.

A Dot in the Snow, published by Oxford University Press and nominated for a 2018 Kate Greenaway Medal.

FW: As soon as I heard the title and Corrinne’s concept for the book — the idea of a little polar bear spotting a dot in the snow, I was totally captivated and knew I wanted to work on it.

My initial brief was to do something “artful,” which as an illustrator is a real gift!

I spent my Christmas watching wildlife documentaries to get my head around bears and snowy scenes. This was invaluable and helped to spark off compositional ideas for the landscape spreads.

We decided early on that it was important to highlight the environmental impact on the melting polar ice caps with the cracking ice spreads. This influenced the character design of the young polar bear cub Miki and we resolved to have him on all fours, rather than anthropomorphised on two legs. This slightly naturalistic approach seemed to help place him in the snowy world, where he has to contend with all the perils of the harsh environment.

I did lots of printmaking experiments to create the landscapes, printing with rubber stamps, and polystyrene from a pizza base was great for ice. I then composited all the elements digitally.

As well as the relationship between the characters, I was keen to capture their relationship with the environment, the filmic potential and the sense of space and distance covered on Miki’s epic adventure.

Corrinne sent me a link to this Björk track which she listened to whilst writing the book. It then became my soundtrack whilst illustrating it and we played it on a loop at our London book launch at the Bright Emporium!

My huge thanks to Fiona! LM

If you’d like to work with Fiona, you can reach her via her agent, Arabella Stein here.

If you’d like to know more about Fiona and her picture books, click the link below.

Fiona Woodcock — From Art Licensing to Children’s Books and Beyond…Read the blog

The BBC recently aired a documentary, Life in Polar Bear Town, which you can see here.
Photograph courtesy of the BBC. See more here.

When you think of children’s illustration, it’s only natural to think picture books, but the exciting thing about illustration is just how much you can do with it. Children’s illustrators do, primarily make picture books, but they’ll often do more where their schedule allows. They take part in all sorts of events, up and down the country, and they often share their skills closer to home — in their own community. This is exactly what Fred Blunt has done, and even better, it involves his local library:

FB: It all started when an artist friend of mine got in touch and told me that South Swindon Parish had taken over the Old Town Library, and were planning a renovation project. What’s more, they wanted large scale, fun murals for the children’s area. He thought it would be relevant for a children’s book illustrator to pitch for the job.

Fred’s rough drafts before the final artwork, and the final designs below.

At first I didn’t intend to pitch. The idea of taking the time out of of my picture book schedule to design and paint a mural seemed way too time-consuming. But the idea of creating something just for children, in a library, on a big scale was very exciting to me – especially in the present climate of library closures.[Read more about library closures in an article by The Guardian here]

I then thought, if I could find a company to install it using vinyl print, I could save a lot of time and potentially make it work. I did a little research and contacted local print company, Signs Express with my proposal.

Much to my surprise, they got in contact the very next day, enthused about the project and eager to be onboard.

So I pitched my vision of a vibrant wall design, installed in vinyl print, instead of a traditionally painted mural. The Council library committee were quick to get in touch and discuss my ideas – all of which were enthusiastically received.

I went away with a vague notion of creating a bold and vibrant mural, which was going to be based on reading – showing the joy of books, and how they take you out of the everyday, and into the extraordinary.

Hot off the printing press!

I wanted the design to be appealing over the age groups, bright and fun for the very young, but also to have enough design elements to be considered cool for the older kids (and hopefully enjoyed by their parents too).

Early on, I wanted to achieve a ‘pop art’ look for kids . . . a cartoony version of those bold Peter Blake designs, with the contained boxes of colour. I also wanted the characters to have a retro appeal, so they would be timeless.

Famous artwork by Peter Blake.

It was great fun designing each individual box, using limited colour, so that together, they would hang nicely as a bunch of interlocking, contrasting colours – creating an overall unity.

The committee were very open to my ideas. They gave me free reign to do exactly what I wanted, which was wonderfully liberating! I even got to choose the colours of the walls and new carpets to compliment my designs.

The installation itself, took only a day for the print team to complete, and I have to admit it was a nerve-wracking wait to see if the result would live up to my expectations — but quite honestly, they exceeded them.

The vinyl finish is great! No need to worry about mucky fingers and the colours are more vivid than I imagined — or could have ever achieved with paint. Exactly the bold graphic look I was after.

It’s been a great project to be part of, and hopefully many children will enjoy the murals as they choose new books for a long time to come.

Fred pictured next to the finished mural, and his children enjoying the books in the new space.

So if you live in the Swindon area, be sure to visit your local library!

With huge thanks to Fred Blunt. If you’d like to know more about Fred’s illustration and picture books, you can do so here:

Picture Book Funny Man: The Art of Fred Blunt

Fred Blunt puts the funny into children’s books, with his humour making both children and adults laugh. There’s something nostalgic about his style; animated, playful and with a warm palette, his pictures and characters tell the story, making his books an all inclusive experience. Here he talks about his journey, starting out as a working illustrator, covering a broad range of markets, to the present, where he works solely on picture books, much to the delight of his readers… [Continue reading]

You only have to glance through David Litchfield’s own blog to see that this talented man owes his success, not only to the fact that he has beautiful ideas with artwork to match, but that his dedication to his audience, and the way he shares his gift means the legacy of his work will certainly stand the test of time along with greats like Maurice Sendak, and Judith Kerr.Along with all of this, David is a pleasure to work with — always happy to attend events and run workshops, he has toured the country painting bookshop windows, and even a school wall. Not only that . . . but he has even brought The Bear and his Piano to music festivals this year, which certainly validates our founder’s long-standing claim that children’s picture book makers are the rockstars of our day.David has now been nominated for a Kate Greenaway award, for not one but two of his books: Grandad’s Secret Giant, and The Building Boy with author Ross Montgomery.In celebration of this exciting news, here are some highlights from his career so far . . .

“I’m going to let you into a secret now, but when I quit my full time job to become an illustrator in January 2014 I was completely terrified.

But suddenly from out of the blue I received a message from Anne Moore Armstrong who had seen some of my work on twitter and asked if I would be interested in signing for Bright and developing ideas for picture books.

And all my worries went away.” David Litchfield

September 2015: Frances Linclon publishes The Bear and the Piano, which has now been translated into over ten languages and a beautiful electronic sounds book to boot!

April 2016: David Wins The Waterstones Book Prize in best Illustrated Picture Book category.

A Bear in every window for 2016 as David tours the UK with The Bear and the Piano.

April 2017: David’s second self-penned picture book, Grandad’s Secret Giant is launched at The Bright Emporium with Frances Lincoln.

June 2017: A Giant in every bookshop window across the UK and even a mural on a school wall!

July 2017: Camp Bestival with a live perfomance of The Bear and his Band!

September 2017: The Bear and the Piano is made into an animated film by Carrot Productions and goes on tour with The Snowman this Christmas along with full orchestra and narration by Joanna Lumley. Read more here.

November 2017 Grandad’s Secret Giant and The Building Boy nominated for a Kate Greenaway Award 2018.

There is so much more than this — and if you’d like to have a look, visit David’s blog here.

If you’d like to work with David, you can reach him via his agent, Anne Moore Armstrong here.

An illustrator with a back catalogue of fantastic books to his name, not to mention other exciting creative projects, we were delighted to welcome Aaron Blecha to The Bright Agency back in March of this year. With an exciting creative project currently under way with the Sea Life Centre in Brighton, and a forth-coming exhibition of his work at the Hove Museum and Art Gallery in February 2018, he is not only a successful working illustrator, but he is exploring the boundaries outside of children’s book illustration.

Where did it all begin – in terms of becoming an artist?

From an early age, I was always drawing and working on projects of my own — lots of castles, pirates, monsters, and Star Wars aliens. I was a student with pretty average grades so luckily I had art to carry me through and keep me interested. I had an inspiring art teacher in high school who let us explore our style rather than demand you stick to specific rules (Captain Calamari was the title of my comic book senior project). After university, I worked as a graphic designer and then a 2D animator, but I’ve now been a freelance illustrator / character designer for over 12 years.

What possessed you to leave sunny California to come to the mostly grey UK?!

Ha ha! Well, after living in San Francisco for many years I met a nice English woman there that talked me into moving to London with her! I have always been interested in the European lifestyle and backpacked around here a bit, so I was up for a new adventure (although I didn’t realise how grey the summers could be)! That nice English woman is now my wife and after five years in London and wanting to start a family, we moved down to Hove. We love it down here — lots of creative people/events around, all surrounded by inspiring coastal and hilly scenery everywhere — a little like San Francisco!

You’ve worked on projects for companies like Disney – are you able to talk a bit about that and what you’ve worked on there?

Sure — sometimes I’m hired to help design characters for television development pitches for studios (Disney TV, Cartoon Network, Curious Pictures, eOne Family). There’s usually a cartoon pitch already written and they need an artist to bring the characters to life. I enjoy the process of working with a team of writers and creative people to find the personality of the show. Like many development projects, none of the pitches I worked on made it to production but they are still super fun to work on.

I also work on other fun side projects like creating zombie, dinosaur and monster-filled art for stickers, cards and temporary tattoos for a variety of companies.

Can you talk about your influences in terms of style, other artists you like – say from books or comics from your childhood to present day.

I’d say my influences are mostly Mercer Mayer’s early monster books, Sendak’s seminal Where the Wild Things Are, Paul Galdone’s scratchy, creepy folktale stories (Tailypo) and Richard Scarry’s fun creature-filled worlds are still influential.
I would especially say Mercer Mayer has a lot influence on me as an artist. He created such a rich world of goofy characters and monsters that still live with me to this day.

I have two young daughters so I now have extra incentive to keep up on new picture books and their creators too. I love the humour and characters in Mo Willems’ and Jon Klassen’s books.

UK and US markets differ quite significantly sometimes in terms of trends in publishing: Do you find that working as an illustrator in the Uk means a change in perspective in terms of what publishers are looking for?

Yes, definitely. The majority of my projects have been from the States, but I’m gradually now working on more UK books. I’ve been told I have an American style, which I think comes from my years working in animation and what entertainment I consumed while I was growing up. As time goes by, I’m still keeping true to my outlook and style but I’ve been altering some character proportions and mixing up the media I use to create my art. I think my style works well with middle grade books and I’ve been lucky to work on several long running book series in America: George Brown, Class Clown (Penguin) and Shark School (Simon & Schuster). I have just started to work on the super fun series, Dino Wars, here in the UK. I’m looking forward to engaging more with readers and book stores here rather than being far away across the ocean!

What aspect of your job do you most enjoy?

I absolutely love the initial spark of visualising new characters and their undiscovered world. I’ve authored and illustrated two books for HarperCollins that follow a bear named Grizzle Grump on his adventures to find a quiet place to hibernate (Goodnight, Grizzle Grump!) and then when we finally wakes up, his journey to find a springtime snack (Good Morning, Grizzle Grump!)

The problem solving on how an illustration creatively fits on a page is a fun challenge too. I also enjoy the last few days of project where I add finishing touches like shadows, highlights and textures to my illustrations.

I also love a good cover design project- I just finished one titled Margot & Mateo Save the World!

What are you looking for in future projects?

I’m interested in projects that are fun and funny that take place outside of the normal events of day to day life!

I’m busily working away on my upcoming exhibition at Hove Museum titled Aliens, Zombies & Monsters! The show starts in February 2018 and will run for six months. My sketchbooks and illustrations showing the process of creating children’s books will be displayed alongside 3D models of my aliens, zombies and monsters – there will be strong emphasis on interactivity and fun for all age groups. Stay tuned for more news and hope to see you there!

My huge thanks to Aaron, and we recommend his exhibition if you’re in the south of England, it’s going to be great fun!

If you’d like to work with Aaron, you can get in touch via his agent Arabella Stein here.

Ashling Lindsay has an immediately recognisable style. She understands how to use colour, and how to compose her subjects within the space on a page to create unforgettable scenes. The Night Box is everything a children’s book should be, with a thoughtful and poetic voice — comforting anyone who feels slightly less than bold in the dark. It is the perfect way to help a child to feel secure and comforted as the evenings draw in over the long Winter months. Ashling is still very set on honing and developing her skills as an artist, so much so that despite already working as a picture book illustrator, she has gone back to art school to continue her studies in the fine arts.

Ashling, where did you study, and did the course help to shape your style, or was it something you found organically?

I did a BA in Graphic Design and Illustration at Ulster University Belfast – and am now back there working towards an MFA. I’m not sure how the style I have came about, I think I just drew a lot and got to know what I liked and what I didn’t. For me what’s most important is that the image communicates what was intended.

What drew you to illustrate for children?

I’ve always been really into picture books – some of my favourites are The Shrinking of Treehorn by Edward Gorey, The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and Moonman by Tomi Ungerer. I remember being read those as a kid, and when I realised that making them was an actual job that people did – I wanted to do it too.

Your colour palette is beautiful, calming and very recognisable. How did you develop this, and is there a reasoning behind that particular palette – as in, was it very thought out, or did it occur naturally?

I try to come up with a palette that feels right for the text and usually spend a lot of time working it out. I do have my personal favourites though, and am definitely guilty of trying to make them work whenever possible!

Can you tell me about any outside influences on your work – such as films, books, places, people?

I can’t say for certain what outside material has influenced my work – I do read a lot, and I definitely watch a lot of films. Book wise my favourite writers are probably Virginia Woolf, David Foster Wallace and maybe Proust – I say maybe because I’ve only read one of his books so far, but it was a good one. And with film – I really like David Lynch’s stuff, all of Studio Ghibli and a lot of Wes Anderson’s.

What’s next on the horizon for you in terms of picture books, and where would you like your career to be – say in five years time?

I’d really like to try writing and illustrating a whole picture book myself. And I would also really like to work with a writer from the very beginning of a project – to come up with ideas and story together – to make a more collaborative book.

Every October in the UK, for the past 30 years, we’ve remembered Black History and commemorated achievements made by people of colour. Not so long ago, America saw its first black President. From that incredible shift in history came quite a blow, as in the US, Trump came to power, whilst over in the UK we battle on in the face of Brexit.

Simon Prescott is the illustrator of the Marvin and Marigold books – I say books because these characters are certain to have a long life in the world of publishing, and a Marvin and Marigold Christmas story is due imminently.

I knew I’d love The Grotlyn. It’s nostalgic — think Janet and Allan Ahlberg’s Happy Families or Burglar Bill, only with an edge, and a thrill of the macabre. Dickensian London is captured so beautifully, it’s already filmic in it’s composition.

Mark Chambers has been with Bright from the very beginning. Through sheer determination, hard work and an ability to adapt and develop his style over time, he has made illustration his career, and a successful one at that.